SonomaCountyWiki.com

Interactive Wine Country Tours

California is famous for its vineyards and one of the best wines of the world comes from these parts. There are more than two thousand wineries. Touring this grape-rich country is a thrilling experience. The travel is on a cruise which takes you to the wineries. The people travel by small ships enjoying the beauty of the sea. There are interactive sessions with wine experts and special guests who give us a background about the history about the place. There are visits to wineries on shore.

August is the harvest season in the area and this is the best time to visit there. The Mediterranean climate is just right for growing grapes. There are special wine events and festivals around this time. So, one can enjoy the scenic beauty of the beautiful bay and riverside and visit the wineries and also tour the architectural places of the glorious past. This a tour that expert wine tasters and novices will enjoy to the maximum, since there is wine, culture and beautiful scenery all put together in one journey.

There are many famous areas that can be visited on this tour. Some of them are Amador County, Lodi Country, Monterey Country, Napa Valley, Pasco Robles, Santa Cruz Country and Sonoma Country.

Amador Country is famous for its Gold Rush attraction. In Jackson town you have the Amador Country Museum which houses the memorabilia from the Gold Rush period. Indian Rock Grinding State Park is 2,400ft above sea level, situated at Pine Grove. At Suffer Creek you can the buildings of the Gold Rush era and can also do some shopping.

The wineries of Shenandoah Valley have high class Amador wines. Ario in a new winery and has Italian wine and Dobra Zemula produces "Big Reds' of Amador.

Lodi country is said to be the hidden jewel of the California wine country. Here you can taste wine at the Lodi wine country and Jessie's Grove Winery where you can get to know the history of Lodi wineries. There are many marshes and the river basin houses hundreds of birds, reptiles and fishes. Many people come there for bird watching. During winter many Sandhill Cranes come there. At the Lodi Wine and Visitor center there are demonstrations on wine grape growing and wine making.

The Monterey country has 40,000 acres for growing grapes. Monterey and Camel area by sea are great vacation spots. The sunset is beautiful. People can go kayaking, watch the whales and visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. National Steinbeck Center at Salines showcases John Steinbeck's world and has exhibits for all ages.

Napa Valley has almost four hundred wineries, all world class. It was the first to be recognized by the American Viticultural Area (AVA). The famous types of wines Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Riesling, Pinot Grigio and Malbec are found here. At Oakville you have the Robert Mondavi Winery. Grot h, Duckhorn, and Stag's Leap Winery are some of the wineries on the Silverado Trail. The town of St. Helena's is great for shopping. The view from Napa valley and the tram ride to Sterling Vineyards hilltop winery are really enjoyable.

Pasco Robles is between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It has 170 wineries and about 26,000 acres of vineyard. It has wide selection of wines like, Cabernet, Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Marsanne etc. You can walk leisurely down the coast and visit the downtown City Park. At Pasco Robles vineyards you can listen to a talk about wine planting and wine growing.

The Santa Cruz country has the David Bruce winery, Beach Bargetto winery, Copper-Garrod vineyards and Beauregerd vineyards. You can go over the mountains and walk on Bear Creek Road. You can see the David Bruce chateau and Santa Cruz wharf.

Sonoma is famous for its variety of wines. You can taste Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernot and Sauvignon. You can walk on the beach and watch whales at The Bodega Bay. The Jack London State Park and museum is there.

September is celebrated as wine month. Why not visit this year and enjoy the tour of vineyards in California.